The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-06
A CONsPIRACY-WHOsEq

Voorhees, was elected United States Senator to |
succeed himself. This majority Of forty-s
was secured upon the legislative apportion- |
ment then in existence, although the Demo |
cratic party then, as now, was in minority of |
the popular vote. But this large preponder-
ance in the Legislature was not sufficient. A
gang of consprators, who proposed to make
dead sure the return of Democrat to the
met in secret and conceived the infamous
gerrymander, by which it was expected to re-
turn at least seventy majority in tho present
Assembly. This was the open and gleeful
boast of the Democratic leaders. Men like
Mr.. Mcdonald and Governor Gray rubbed
their hands over the scheme and chuckled
people, Mr. Voorhees, himself, not later than
October last, said to Senator Camden of West
Virginia, that he should feel personally dis
graced" if the Indiana Legislature did not
have at least sixty joint majority.
So Infamous was this gerrymander that not
| all the Democrats could be secured to vote for
it, or to even keep their silence 1t was de-
nounced by Democrats Oh the floor Of both
houses, and it did not have enough supporters
| to pass it. 1t is an open secret that influences
were used to secure its passage that will not
| bear the light of day, and it will be part of
the duty Of the present Republican House of
Representatives to try and uncover the cor
| ruption by which the objections were got
out of the way, and enough votes secured to
enact it into law. When the evidence 10
taken in this regard, it is not unlikely that
some high heads will be bowed down in dis
grace. and some gentlemen now in the city
from the national capital may be thoroughly
wounded in every respect" At least, it will
be shown that the gerrymander was conceived
in sin and brought forth in iniquity-that
corrupt measure in scope and purpose, it was
only made into law through the worst forms
of corruption.
This gerrymander was the initial point of
gigantic conspiracy to disfranchise the people,
to vitiate the popular voice and to steal the
United States senatorship. That conspiracy
has steadily progressed. step by STEP until
the present time. The election came on in
due course. Contrary to the expectations Of
the conspirators, the people pronounced en-
phatically against them. When it was dis
covered that the revolt threatened even the
Legislature there was hurrying to and fro in
the Democratic camp. Leading Democrats
suddenly and secretly left the city to Elk
things I'M close districts, and the assumption
was made and maintained that the Legislature
was D<pocratic on joint ballot, though no one
dared to give figures or particulars. When
the canvass of the votes of Marion county
came to be made it was known that one or
two members would probably turn the scale,
and so the tally-sheets were forged, erasures
were made and acid was employed by thieves
and scoundrels for the purpose, among other
things, of counting out Mr.. Grifiths as a
Representative Sim Coy openly boosted to
Mr.. Grf1iths that they would count him out,
and in pursuance of that purpose the crimes
were committed with which every man in the
community, and the whole country as we'll,
are perfectly acquainted. But for a misiudg-
ment as to Mr.. Grifiths' plurality his office
would have been stolen from him, as were the
Offices of criminal judge and coroner.
But the thieves failed in this, and SO the
Democratic gang took another step. Contests
: were begun against number of Senators and
Representatives. elect, utterly without cause
and avowedly for the purpose of maintaining
Z their fraudulent alleged majority, against the
enforcement of the plain and imperative pro
visions of the Constitution by the Repub
licans in legal and proper investigation of the
election and qualifications of certain members
In Cass county, for instance, and in the dis
trict which elected Mr.. Mackey by over two
thousand majority, contests were begun OF
behalf of unknown and disreputable parties IL
the employ of the gang, the Democratic can
didates declining to become parties to til,
proceedings. Schemes were set on foot t,
indict certain Republicans elect for alleged
violations Of the election law, and in one in
stance plan was laid to arrest and carry out
side the boundary of the State certain mem
Der. All these schemes and plots are perfect
ly we'll known, and show the desperate
> purpose of the Democratic ring managers
!, Like vultures over carrion, there is gatherin!
of Democratic leaders and ''workers" in thi
city to further the partisan plans of preventing